SHOWTIME HONORED WITH SEVEN NAACP IMAGE AWARDS NOMINATIONS INCLUDING FIVE FOR HIT DRAMA SERIES THE CHI

Emmy® Winner Lena Waithe Receives Two Writing Nods

Jason Mitchell, Alex R. Hibbert Of THE CHI And Sanaa Lathan Of THE AFFAIR Tapped In Acting Categories SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE Nominated As Outstanding Television Documentary

LOS ANGELES – February 13, 2019 – SHOWTIME has been nominated for seven NAACP Image Awards, led by five for the network’s hit drama, THE CHI – including Outstanding Drama Series. THE CHI received more nominations than any other cable drama and tied for most nominations among dramas overall.Series creator and executive producer Lena Waitheearned a solo NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series and shared in another with Dime Davis. SHOWTIME also received three acting nominations for Jason Mitchell and Alex R. Hibbert of THE CHI and Sanaa Lathanof THE AFFAIR. In addition, SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE, executive produced by LeBron James, was nominated for Outstanding Documentary (Television).

The five nominations for THE CHI represent the latest accolades for a program that premiered in 2018 as the biggest launch for a SHOWTIME drama series in two years and continued to add tremendous growth in the second half of the season, with the finale outperforming the premiere by 64 percent. Produced entirely in its namesake city with Waithe as executive producer, THE CHI is a timely coming-of-age story that explores the humanity behind the headlines sensationalizing the South Side of Chicago. THE CHI returns for its second season on SHOWTIME beginning April 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

In addition to Outstanding Drama Series, THE CHI received two writing nominations. Waithe was nominated for writing the pilot and also with Davis for the episode entitled “The Whistle.” THE CHI also boasts two acting nominations: Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for Mitchell, and Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series) for Hibbert.

Lathan was nominated as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Seriesafter her first season appearing on the SHOWTIME hit drama THE AFFAIR. Lathan will return to the series when it premieres its fifth and final season on SHOWTIME later this year.

The nominated three-part docu-series SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE premiered on SHOWTIME in November. Narrated by acclaimed sports journalist and commentator Jemele Hill, SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE is a powerful inside look at the changing role of NBA athletes through the lens of our shifting cultural and political environment. Hill is among one of the many luminaries featured in the documentary that includes former NBA players, executives, sports journalists and pop-culture icons. SHUT UP AND DRIBBLE is directed by Gotham Chopra and executive produced by LeBron James, Maverick Carter and Chopra.

The NAACP will host this year’s annual Image Awards on Saturday, March 30 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Viewers can catch up on all nominated series and performances on air, on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, on the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®, or through the network's authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS, and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Amazon, Apple®, Google, LG Smart TVs, Oculus Go, Roku®, Samsung Smart TVs and Xbox One. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, DirecTV Now, FuboTV, Hulu, Sling TV, Sony PlayStation™ Vue, and YouTube TV or directly at www.showtime.com.